1) Prepare your arguments

One way is to explain how the tool you’d like funding for would benefit your organization:

While the tool might be convenient for you, how does it help your boss and your company? Take some time to get some hard facts behind why spending money on this social media tool actually saves the company money too.

For example, if you are managing multiple social media accounts and have to log in and out of each one to monitor mentions and respond to comments all of that time adds up.

Besides making your argument, try to back it up with data. Rivka recommends several questions that you should ask. Here are a few:

What is your conversion rate for social media vs. other outreach methods?

How much time will you gain from using this social media tool?

In what ways would you and your company be able to better serve customers/clients with this tool?

There’s also something else that you can take advantage of: free trials. “If the tool you want to use has a free trial, use it and track the results.”

2) Chum the waters

Approaching your boss about asking for money can be kinda awkward. To fix this, Rivka recommends that you “pave the way.”

Bring coffee, or doughnuts, or a veggie tray. Studies have shown that being “hangry” really is a thing, so make sure your boss has the blood sugar to listen and take the time to hear you out.

Some other things you can do that will break the ice include:

picking a time when you’re boss is free, and

putting your data into a format that can be easily digested.

With regards to putting data together, here’s Rivka’s recommendation: “Bullet points are great for that. You could also grab some screenshots of the social media tool you want approval for (easy if they have a free trial).”

3) Make Your Argument

Once you’ve established your case, you need to go and ask. There are a couple of strategies that Rivka recommends you take. Here are three that I like:

Use “because” liberally.

Rather than asking, “so can we get this, yes or no?” ask “Which of their plans do you think is the best fit?”

If they have objections you hadn’t thought of, be ready to say “Let me find that out for you” and then schedule another time to talk again

Social media tools can be pretty expensive, but getting your boss to pay a little bit can really improve your online life.